Peter Jones: ITV’s face of business.

1 Focus on clear targets, objectives and rewards

Jones claims one of the biggest reasons for the success of his own company, is that it delivers more per capita head than the competition. ‘We’ve got a very small sales team but we focus on that team going out to the market under a specific plan of attack,’ Jones writes.

‘We know at the start of the year exactly what we want to achieve and how we’re going to achieve it. Every month, staff  are set very clear objectives which they’re rewarded upon delivering. Because we’re so focused, we can deliver far more than if we instructed our sales force to sell “as much as they can” or if we gave them a basic commission plan.’

2 Prepare your sales team

Jones likens his sales team to gladiators. He says: ‘Gladiators were successful because they were very well-trained, well-honed, and were given the right tools and strategies for the job. When a Gladiator stepped into the ring, they delivered 99 out of 100 times.’ (Surely more like 50% of the time because one of the pair nearly always died – Ed!) In order to turn your team into gladiators, Jones advocates giving the team ‘clear objectives, the tools to deliver the job and the basic training that’s required to be more effective than your competition’.

Team preparation should be matched with a portfolio of products and solutions plus a clear understanding of the strategy behind the business, to help team members maximise sales and reach targets. He adds: ‘The more you get a spirit of co-operation, the better and faster the results can be with a small team of people.’

3 Understand what excites and motivates each team member

‘It may not only be money,’ says Jones. ‘A happy workforce is a productive workforce. Create a united team and a spirit of co-operation.’

Understand what each sales team member is there to do and what excites them, Jones advises. The key is to put together a team where everybody works together, from the person putting the product portfolio together, to the person knocking on doors and selling.

‘As long as they have fun and enjoy what they do, there’s more of a spirit of co-operation. And the more you get that spirit of co-operation, the better and faster the results can be with a small team of people,’ he says.

4 Empower your sales force with decision-making responsibilities

Jones advocates giving team members a certain degree of autonomy and responsibility to decide how they deliver targets as this helps them to feel valued.

He believes many people are given a job purely as a function, with no power to deliver and make decisions on behalf of the company. ‘I believe companies should live a bit by the sword and empower individuals to make decisions within a certain scope,’ Jones declares. (Does this mean they also die by the sword – Ed?)

‘Not only is this good for the customer, it’s great for the individual to know they’re valued and can make some decisions without having to refer to others.’

5 Encourage communication

Not just between the sales team and customers, but also between members of the team.

6 Solicit feedback

Make use of both positive and negative feedback.

‘Use positive feedback to generate repeat business. Also use it as customer testimonials on your sales literature. Ask for referrals from happy customers.

‘Use less positive feedback to fine-tune your offering.’

7 Deliver on your promises

Deliver on promises to both customers and staff. ‘Go the extra mile where necessary.’

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